Andrew Cole: Chicharito can rediscover his red-hot form by following treble hero Solskjaer’s lead

Javier Hernandez should take his lead from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he searches for the spark to rekindle his debut-season form.

Javier Hernandez should take his lead from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he searches for the spark to rekindle his debut-season form.

Chicharito has swung from unknown bargain buy, to second-season syndrome sufferer, to the fall guy following an expensive new arrival.

The 24-year-old Mexican’s Old Trafford career since signing for £8m in 2010 from Chivas of Guadalajara mirrors that of Norwegian Red legend Solskjaer.

United fans hadn’t a clue who the baby-faced 23-year-old was when United announced his £1.5m arrival from Molde in 1996.

He slipped in almost unnoticed as Alan Shearer’s proposed move from Blackburn to the Reds fell through, leaving United fans distraught at the club’s transfer business.

Similarly, the Old Trafford support were demanding more expensive imports three summers ago when Chicharito was brought over from Mexico.

Solskjaer got his break when Andrew Cole missed the start to the 1996-97 campaign and the newcomer went on to become top scorer in his first season with 19 goals, well ahead of Cole and Eric Cantona.

Chicharito took his first-season opportunity while Wayne Rooney was in dispute with the club and then disappeared to America to recover from an ankle injury.

The young striker went on to become second top-scorer with 20 goals, but towards the end of the season he leapfrogged £30.75m club record buy Dimitar Berbatov in Fergie’s pecking order.

But just as Solskjaer’s second term brought ankle ligament and thigh injuries, plus a virus and a subsequent dip to just nine goals, so Chicharito’s concussion and ankle troubles last term saw his impact and goal output fall to 12 goals.Wayne Rooney wants to fill Eric Cantona role for England

Solskjaer’s difficult second term led to Fergie paying a club record £12.5m for Dwight Yorke in the summer of ‘98, while this close season the Reds boss invested £24m in Robin van Persie.

Months after Yorke’s arrival, with Solskjaer the back-up in the new four-strong strikeforce, United’s hierarchy accepted a bid from Spurs for the Norwegian. He chose to fight on and famously became the Nou Camp hero in the 1999 Champions League final at the end of that season.

Chicharito is now behind the senior choice of Rooney and RVP with Danny Welbeck also in the mix.

But Solskjaer’s lead should inspire Chicharito according to former United striker Cole, who was at the centre of the Norwegian’s challenge 14 years ago.

“Chicharito has to accept the challenge and be patient because that is the only way forward, just as Ole showed,” Cole told M.E.N. Sport. “It is a challenge for everyone in the United squad. Everyone has their own battles when you have so much competition.

“I was the fortunate one in that era because I was first-choice with Dwight Yorke and we were scoring a lot of goals together. But Ole got his head down and worked and it came right. I know what Chicharito is going through because something similar happened to me.

“After joining Newcastle from Bristol City I scored goals and then we were promoted to the Premier League. In my first season at that level I scored 34 league goals and 41 in all competitions.

“After that season people were saying watch out for second-season syndrome and all that and I just shrugged and said, ‘Yeah whatever!’

“But then you realise they were talking sense and were dead right. The second campaign it was a lot harder. You maybe stop doing things you were good at, opponents also get to know how to stop you.

“From an unknown you have suddenly become a player they will do their homework on and will know everything you did the previous season. It can be tough going. But you have to work your way through it. Chicharito will have found last year that opponents had wised up to him. They knew what to expect.

“But it is all about learning from that and improving. I remember when I joined United from Newcastle and the then assistant Brian Kidd said to me, ‘If you think just 41 goals is good enough here at old Trafford, you are wrong’.

“I thought Kiddo had grown three heads! But he was bang on. Yes, you have to score goals but it is also about being a team player. I had to learn that. It was part of the education.”

Part of Chicharito’s education appears to be learning how to beat the offside trap.

The Mexican is blessed with blistering pace, but too often falls victim to the linesman’s flag.

“When you are anxious to score goals again and impress you tend to make your runs too early,” added Cole.

“When you are on the shoulder of the defender and have his speed you just have to hang back and make your runs slightly deeper and bend the run.

“That will come as he works his way through the challenge. He will get there because he is quality just like Ole was. The good thing for him is that he’ll get the games. The manager is trying formations, like the diamond, and is so good at ensuring his squad get enough matches.

“Once you get those opportunities you have to take it and make sure all the hard work pays dividends. As much as the manager will rotate you also find if you score goals for Sir Alex Ferguson then you will stay in the team. He’s not going to ignore that as Chicharito found to his advantage in his first season.”

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